Boredom Draws the Curtain over Precious Finis
by Ruin Takada
Summary: If Mankind’s last hope died alone, would anyone made a sound? Would anyone care, and who would care the most? One-shots dwelling over the means and ends of the world’s most infamous case. WHOLE SERIES SPOILER. For the 28-01-10 date, Full summary inside.
1. EightandTwenty

Title: Boredom Draws the Curtain over Precious Finis

Full summary: If Mankind's last hope and saviour died alone and helpless, would anyone made a sound? Would anyone care, and who would care the most? A collection of one-shots dwelling over the beginnings and ends of the world's most notorious murder case. SPOILER WARNING: Whole series/ character death spoiler. Interestingly mind-bending concepts and What-Ifs. A dedication to the 28-01-10 date.

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note whatsoever. If I did, it would have been a very different series than what we know now. The concepts and ideas of this series

displayed in this work of fanfiction were pulled out of my own ass, no one else's, and were written down to give you something to think about as the Real World Ending Date comes and goes again, and to present a new angle for those of you who need a new one. I do not wish to shove these down your throat, but merely to show them to you and let you think about them what you will…perhaps start interesting discussions?

All in all, it is a fanfictional tribute to no one in particular, and shouldn't be taken completely seriously.

*******

**Yes, and here we are. For those of you who have not finished reading the Death Note manga, please do not read this unless you are sure you want to here the startling DN-verse truths and opinions from a lowly fanfiction author. I for one wouldn't want that – things get ruined that way. If you haven't completed this one requirement, PLEASE STOP READING NOW. It is for your own good. **

**For the rest of you, welcome. As the Full summary has already said, this is a tribute to no one in particular, a work of fanfiction here to give us all something new to think about. This chapter is indeed dedicated to Light, as he is the main 'protangonist' in a series that doesn't technically have one. The format for this now is that the title of the story will be at the top of every chapter, the chapter title underneath in brackets, and you know the rest. **

**Considering the sort-of-seriousness of this piece, feel free to review and criticise this work. I prefer these to be constructional, as these help me improve, but if you feel the need to flame, please be considerate, because although most of us on fanfiction are 13 years of age and older (particularly older with us Death note fans, due to age resections on the manga and anime), most of us have the mental age/maturity of someone much younger, otherwise why would we be on here in the first place? In light of this, don't go overboard and get too technical with your death-threats, because most of us don't understand nonsense. **

Boredom Draws the Curtain over Precious Finis.

(Eight-and-Twenty)

Light Yagami cared, of course he would – after all, it was he himself who'd died; he himself who'd sacrificed his own health and wellbeing for the good of Mankind, and took bullets for them. In all honesty, he didn't think they knew how lucky they were, that a human with the same physical limitations as them (save of course for the Shinigami Notebook) and not a tireless, just-doing-it-because-he-was-bored Angel or god of Death was pulling out all the stops for this fragile race. Through their ignorance of their Saviour's true origins and physical/tangible makeup, they had given Kira the rank of god, given Light the rank of god, until he'd denied all ties to humanity, and let his mind go with it.

If only Light hadn't been so concerned, hadn't been so humanitarian, hadn't been so _intelligent_, things may have been different. He may not have felt compelled to save mankind when he had the chance, and would've left the notebook where it had dropped on the dogshelf. He may not have felt the need to convince himself it was necessary to realise the thoughts that had been flying around in his head like vultures. Worst of all, he wouldn't have worked out the Final Riddle, the Final Mystery, and he wouldn't have spent his last 2,148 days knowing that if ever he failed, there would be no reward, not even a punishment for his efforts, and it would've all been a waste of valuable time, once the world rotted once again.

That's why he was so scared. That's why he begged, lost all his dignity, right before the heart attack that finished him off.

But 2,153 days, from the day he'd picked up the Death Note and began the process of making his final decision on 28th November 2003, to the day he died as a result of the final decision on 28th January 2010. For 2,153 days, he pretty much had every chance each and every one of those days to give it up and burn it (even he, who'd yielded his whole being to the notebook would never follow Ryuk's advice and just 'give it to someone else'. After all, only he could fulfil the task of a full-scale cleanup job: Anyone else would be selfish or get caught). He couldn't say that Ryuk hadn't warned him because he'd told him when they'd first met, had even told him the 'consequences' of what happens to Death Note users when they die; how the Shinigami would be the one to write their names when it was time for the user to die; how full of misfortune the lives of Death Note users tended to be…

Light Yagami, didn't listen, so confident that his life as a Death Note user would be different, how his would be the combo-breaker…Sitting now in MU, he realised he should've, that he was stupid for not heeding caution and not doubting for one second if his intentions really were pure, or at least if the means were, if the ends could really justify them. He had thought he was the embodiment of the virtue of Justice…but as he had let himself get more and more buried by the notebook, he had really become the embodiment of the sin of Corruption – one whose intentions were pure, but who couldn't resist the temptation to realise them through less than pure methods, who couldn't resist letting seedy beings take advantage of a pure man's desire and influence, soiling his hands with the blood of countless others in the knowledge that it won't ever come off.

Yes, Light cared. He cared so much, but was sure that the others – such as Ryuk, who was in it for the entertainment; Aizawa, who had suspected him and plotted against him from the inside out; Matsuda, who'd supported him, yet felt it 'necessary' to pull the trigger on his precious comrade and – with Aizawa and Mogi – break the hollow camaraderie; Misa Amane, who had never shared his vision, only wanting him for her own selfish needs; Soichiro Yagami, who (though no longer a father in Light's eyes), had acted like a dedicated father and allowed himself to be taken advantage of by the faulty Justice system and the Rotten World that ran it, yet felt content in that selling out his son to an unrighteous death penalty was the right thing to let happen; or even Ryuzaki…no, L, who'd challenged him from the start, offered him companionship that no other being could offer, only to wish to give up his 'only friend' for the sake of a case – didn't care.

They were all happy to play along to begin with, trifle with the seriousness of Light's goal, but very willing to wash their hands of it when it got too much to handle and the reality set in, happy to break all ties and give Light over to a criminal's just deserts.

No, the rest didn't care at all.

**And this was the first chapter. Considering that last paragraphs, I think it is safe to say that there will be more, and I am hoping to get most of it done within two weeks for you. Also, considering the themes of this, please tell me what you think, because this is that most serious-style fanfiction I've done, and the first time I've used the 'essay-style' in my fanfictions. **

**If you are wondering about the accuracy of the '2,153 days' part, then I will tell you now that it is as accurate as the measuring of the day: I worked it out myself, accounting for the 61 day between 28****th**** November and 28****th**** January and both leap years that came in 2004 and 2008, each adding an extra day to the standard year each. After that, it was a simple multiplication of the 4 standard length years and their days, and adding the leap years and the 61 days to that, which makes…2,153 days. For the '2,148 days', I knew that there was a period of 5 days from when the notebook was picked up to when Light met Ryuk and said, "I'm gonna be a god, and this notebook's for keepsies". And voila! A Super-Death-Note-Obsessed-Nerd is born!**

**I'll say it again; this is in dedication of the Real World date of the end of the Death Note series, which will only come to pass again in three years time in concordance with the anime. As this is for the manga date, I think that this date now is the better one. **

**If you wish to do dedications for Death Note around this sort of thing, you have ten days from the 28****th**** January, to fit in with Teru Mikami, but that is only if you want to keep dates: Really these can be done anytime, and doing them is a lot of fun, I must say.**

**Please stay tuned for the next chapter of 'Boredom draws',**

**Please R&R, and SEE YA!!!**

**Ruin Takada.**


	2. The Fifth Horse

Title: Boredom Draws the Curtain over Precious Finis

Full summary: If Mankind's last hope and saviour died alone and helpless, would anyone made a sound? Would anyone care, and who would care the most? A collection of one-shots dwelling over the beginnings and ends of the world's most notorious murder case. SPOILER WARNING: Whole series/ character death spoiler. Interestingly mind-bending concepts and What-Ifs. A dedication to the 28-01-10 date.

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note whatsoever. If I did, it would have been a very different series than what we know now. The concepts and ideas of this series displayed in this work of fanfiction were pulled out of my own ass, no one else's, and were written down to give you something to think about as the Real World Ending Date comes and goes again, and to present a new angle for those of you who need a new one. I do not wish to shove these down your throat, but merely to show them to you and let you think about them what you will…perhaps start interesting discussions?

All in all, it is a fanfictional tribute to no one in particular, and shouldn't be taken completely seriously.

**And once again, we are back in the room. I know this took a little longer than expected to update, but it's here now, and I think everything is going well. As you've already read chapter 1, and are therefore familiar with the Death Note series (otherwise why would you bother), I'm not going to warn you this time – just ask that you enjoy this one, because I think I've done really well with it like last time.**

**The chapter title here, I have to say, was inspired by Michael Gerber's **_**Barry Trotter and the Unnecessary Sequel**_**, in which it is said that the number 35, according to a wizarding internet search engine, is to do with the little known Fifth Horse of the Apocalypse, Boredom. This, I think, actually makes sense, because – as Death Note has shown us – Boredom can be a real motivator for would-be killers. **

**Before this starts, I would just like to remind to once again that, if you feel the need to flame this piece, then please don't go too overboard and technical with your death-threats, as most of us don't understand nonsense.**

Boredom Draws the Curtain over Precious Finis

(The Fifth Horse of Boredom)

Ryuk didn't care. It might have seemed like it, by the way he'd stuck around for so long; by the way he helped out every now and again (for the price of a few apples, of course); how he gave Light some handy hints; reminded the human what he was in for by keeping the notebook; and even giving the human an ego stroke every now and again by telling him what a fine Shinigami he'd make, and that he'd even gotten attracted to Light in some funny way never before thought legal, he never _truly_ cared. Enough to stick around and be there when he eventually died (although this was actually a rule, he cared enough not to kill Light before he got captured), enough to decidedly take Light's advice and liven up the Shinigami Realm with a few human world souvenirs (once they had learnt to generate electricity and set up a Shini-Realm Grid, Light's stolen bedside lamp went down very well); but never enough to forgo his promise of writing down his name even after Light's begs, never enough to want to spend a human lifetime with him in a prison, with no apples, and a strait-jacket toting, crazy man for company in a padded room.

Light was there to alleviate Ryuk's pent up boredom, to give him something fun to watch after an indeterminate amount of years surrounded by darkness, bones, and barren scrubland, with only the colours of black, white and numerous dark greys. Light's world was full of greens, blues and (Ryuk's particular favourite) reds, and so what seen-it-all Shinigami wouldn't be interested?

As before mentioned, Ryuk may not have cared for Light, but he had certainly liked him: Apart from finding an interesting use for the notebook, Light had done many things of note – he'd given him apples, kept Ryuk in suspense (very important for keeping both interest and life intact), treated him like an equal and even played a few games of Mario Golf with him from time to time. All the little things that could make a big difference.

Yet despite all this, and the fact that Ryuk had lost a pretty consistent source of apples, the bottom line was that he had never really cared enough, and even now, as he sat in the Shinigami Realm recounting everything that had happened over the last 2,153 days to Gukku and Deridovely, he never gave a thought for Light past that – not a what-if or could-have-been, not even a regret.

If there was one thing that he had learnt from humans as a whole, as they dropped like flies under Kira's rule was, "If you keep them in your memory, and think about them every day, they never truly die." Well, after all that Light had done and showed Ryuk, the human really did deserve MU, spending the rest of eternity eating the Dead-Sea apples he'd reaped for himself.

Ryuk was a Shinigami, after all, and – as such – immune to such humanoid feelings as a general rule.

Not that he cared, of course.

**And this was the second chapter. I don't really think that there is much to be said about this one, as it just seems to explain itself, but if you have any questions, then of course feel free to put them in your reviews. I think the essay-style is working out here, as I have already been told, so I think you can expect more from here. **

**I know I didn't mention the subject of the second chapter in the first one, so I think I'll mention it here so that you know what to expect. So here it is folks – the subject of chapter three is: Touta Matsuda – The Man Who Cared Too Much!**

**Please stay tuned for the next chapter of 'Boredom draws',**

**Please R&R, and SEE YA!**

**Ruin Takada.**

/tmp/uploads/FF_1442455_ 1of1 at 00:45:23 on27/01/2011 King Edward VII School


	3. One For The Million

Title: Boredom Draws the Curtain over Precious Finis

Full summary: If Mankind's last hope and saviour died alone and helpless, would anyone made a sound? Would anyone care, and who would care the most? A collection of one-shots dwelling over the beginnings and ends of the world's most notorious murder case. SPOILER WARNING: Whole series/ character death spoiler. Interestingly mind-bending concepts and What-Ifs. A dedication to the 28-01-10 date.

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note whatsoever. If I did, it would have been a very different series than what we know now. The concepts and ideas of this series displayed in this work of fanfiction were pulled out of my own ass, no one else's, and were written down to give you something to think about as the Real World Ending Date comes and goes again, and to present a new angle for those of you who need a new one. I do not wish to shove these down your throat, but merely to show them to you and let you think about them what you will…perhaps start interesting discussions?

All in all, it is a fanfictional tribute to no one in particular, and shouldn't be taken completely seriously.

**And here we are back again, exactly one year after the Real World date – more precisely the Real World Date for chapter 108 dated January 28****th****, 2011 (which we can now confirm is a Friday). By this point, the world had indeed returned to the state it was in seven years before, on November 28****th**** 2003. Thinking about this, it makes you wonder why Light had even bothered with all that effort, if six years of work could be undone in one year of supposed absence. I have tried to answer this in chapter 1, but of course, the theory behind this is completely up to you. Then again, it shouldn't be that surprising, as, if you remember in volume 5 of the manga, it's mentioned that in the first week of no killings by Kira, the criminals previously keeping a lid on their behaviour had actually started committing crimes again, only with their being about triple the amount of criminal activity noted than before Kira's first appearance. **

**Still, one can dream, can't they? **

**I should be apologising really about the lull in updates on this piece, and for being such a lazy-ass. Considering that these three chapters were first written down during institutional-activity, it's not surprising, especially with all the exams and settling in involved lately. Still, I will persevere, if just to avoid the title of 'Back-Out Queen', perhaps? I would use this space for talking about chapter titles, but considering the circumstances, I won't bother – you as the reader should expect more from me, the writer, and for short-changing you as I have been doing is not acceptable any more.**

**Once again, before I go, I would like to remind you that if you feel the need to flame this piece, then please don't go too overboard and technical with your death threats, as most of us don't understand nonsense. **

Boredom Draws the Curtain over Precious Finis

(One For the Million)

Touta Matsuda cared, he had always cared, no matter what his workmates had said. "You're too impulsive, Matsuda!" "You change your mind quicker than the Emperor changes suits!" "You're just dense, how did you get on the force?"

All his life, people had been telling him things like that, making out that he was only worth enough to fetch the tea and coffee, and, occasionally, clean shoes. Even when he'd helped Light to make a breakthrough with the case of the Third Kira, no one had taken any notice of him, instead praising the perfect newcomer, commenting on how proud his father should be of him.

Come to think of it, it wasn't much of a stretch to suggest that Matsuda cared too much, and that, in his rush to care for all that he saw or touched; he usually lost sight of the original goal, effectively putting others in danger.

And to think that, of all the things he had cared for, and the danger he'd put his subordinates in, the one thing that he'd cared for the most and for the longest time would be responsible for the deaths of so many.

Light Yagami.

He had always had feelings for Light, from the day he'd come over to the Yagami household on Light's 16th birthday, to even after the young man's death, despite everything he'd done. For no one else had Matsuda ever felt such a strong connection, and so when it became obvious that their chances of being a couple were next to none, he had felt compelled to find someone else who would substitute… perhaps Misa-Misa, a girlfriend of Light whom Light himself felt nothing for?

No, she was too good for him, always had been, always will, and when Light suddenly decided her worthy of cohabitation with him, Matsuda soon turned to Light's late-blooming sister, who was soon turning out to be as smart, as beautiful, and maybe even as perfect as her older brother.

But it wasn't to be: To date Sayu, he'd have to get past the Chief and his wife, and neither of them wanted for Sayu the same tragic life as a copper's wife that Sachiko had endured for decades. Light had always wanted to be a cop, and after the fake fight between light and Soichiro over Misa, there was now stopping him… but it wasn't too late to stop Sayu in her post-teen tracks, and with Matsuda's age, there would be nothing to persuade her otherwise. It was doomed before it'd even begun.

No, no one could replace Light, no one could hold a candle to him. Yet, until Light woke up to the fact that Matsuda loved him, Matsuda would have to settle for subtlety: Showing his appreciation for him, by supporting him at every turn of the clock.

But even the ever-observant Light Yagami hadn't noticed, and the dedication fell on deaf ears. Then again, even that wasn't surprising, as Matsuda had always shown dedication and enthusiasm – or what his workmates liked to call his impulsiveness and stupidity – in his job. He was there to capture the bad guy, there for the greater good, after all, and there could be no higher honour for him.

He'd always wanted to be a cop, ever since he was in Elementary school. Having watched cop shows with his mother since he was very small, some of his earliest memories involved her smiling down at him. "You'll be in the Force, I know it." She'd say, grinning, "You'll be the best police officer around, even better than the chief. You'll always get the bad guy!" And so Matsuda tried hard throughout his school career, determined to make it into the police academy that would fling him right into the NPA where he belonged.

But he'd never in his whole life realised until the moment that he fired the gun at Light, that the line between protecting and cherishing the one you love and taking down the bad guy had – and could be – blurred.

He'd cherished Light as any man would cherish his true love, but walking down the road exactly one year down the line, exactly one year after that very man's death, watching the world pass by as it had returned to the state it had been in the seven years before, he couldn't help but realise the truth of the price that he'd have to pay – that everyone would have to pay eventually – for the rest of society, for the world at large.

Yes, he'd loved Light so much, cared so much, but he'd been taught a long time ago that getting the bad guy was far more important, that protecting the world was far more important than heart ache, that he had to – that he _must_ kill the bad guy, pull the trigger and never look back. He had to think about the millions that would remain safe at the expense of just one, and if it had to tear him up inside, bring internally the pain and trauma that he'd cause Light externally, then so be it.

And if it would cause Light to admit his knowing of Matsuda's love for him, that simple acknowledgement, then that would just be the icing on the cake for him, right?

Yes, Matsuda cared so, so much, even allowing himself to break down in emasculated sobs for this, and yet he'd thrown this all away willingly for the Justice that L and his Chief had fought to preserve, even if it meant going against Kira's 'Stick-Up-For-The-Little-Guy' principles, giving away the Meeks' entitlement to inherit the Earth, and even against his true love.

He must seem selfish to say it, or even to think it but, when it came to love and war, one must always think of the bigger picture.

That's just how much he cared.

**And that was, finally, the third chapter. I know it took forever, but I did promise it, didn't I? And, after all, this is a very suitable time to update it, considering the date. Thinking of these Real World dates, it's going to be rather odd, no? I mean, you celebrate for 2010, the first date, then for 2011, the one year later date, and then it's missing out 2012 before celebrating 2013 and 2014 for the anime versions of the Real World dates. It's like that rhyme, "One, two, miss a few, ninety-nine, a hundred" – also known as the perfect way to count hide-and-seek. **

**Still, to make up for this lapse, this chapter is especially long, just for you. And yet, there is something I must do… like, I don't know, keep a track of which perspective will come next? So, working off a bat, here's a list that I've not-so-carefully compiled just for this purpose:**

**4****th**** Misa Amane**

**5****th**** Soichiro Yagami**

**6****th**** L/Ryuzaki**

**7th Aizawa/Mogi (a double-Wammy, just to keep us all happy). **

**8****th**** Commander Rester/ Teru Mikami/Kiyomi Takada (a triple-wammy…)**

**9****th**** Near**

**10****th****?**

**Yes, this may seem like a spoiler, but as the art of Burlesque will teach anyone, the whole point is the journey, not the destination, hmm? Still, there is always looking forward to chapter 10, when it is released, of course. **

**So, yes, you can all expect the next chapter to be about our dear Misa Amane, the Girl With Issues… no, I'm kidding, but seriously though, please stay tuned for her next time… believe it! **

**And on that note… Please stay tuned for the next chapter of 'Boredom Draws', **

**Please R&R,**

**Ruin Takada.**

**P.S. There will, from now on, be a competition for who can correctly guess the subject of chapter 10, the prize being the chapter being dedicated to them, and even a Death Note one-shot written for them, its subject being of their own choice. Aren't I generous? **

**Thanks again, and See Ya!**


End file.
